Rs Logix not letting go of the serial port

I just got a new company laptop with windows xp on it. I can not communicate with keyance or drivetop devices, but can with all rs logix applications. The keyance rep mentioned that some times logix will not let go of the serial port. Has anyone heard of this? All three applications work fine together on my old laptop with win 98 on it.

Thanks,
Jeff

rslinx

I have run into that trouble a few times and i have solved it by closing rs linx from the task bar in the lower right hand corner. i have gotten into the habit of closing it when ever i finish with rslogix. this is just an idea and how i remedied the problem i had in the past. best of luck

Frost,
Thanks for the input. It doesnt work even if I never start up linx. Ill keep searching, for it could be something in the computer, im not famaliar with xp at all

open rslinx, select communications, then configure drivers. make sure they all are stopped then exit linx. previous post was correct as well .. make sure it isn't in the windows startup bar task tray. If it is, you can right click to shut it down.

I am not sure where, but I believe that there is a "run rslinx as a service option". You may want to try turning that off.

Yepp... it's under
Start\ Programs\ Rockwell Software\ RSLinx\
and called "RSLinx Launch Control Panel".
But before you do that, you can also try to open
same COM port using other programs. If you get
error, something else (such as RSLinx) is using it.

Thank you all for your help. When I opened up rs linx and stopped the drivers, it worked (at least with keyence, i dont dare try drivetop without there being an actual problem There never was an icon in the task bar though.

The Icon never showed up because RSLinx is running as a service on your XP laptop. You can manually stop this service by pressing Ctrl-Alt-Del select the processes tab look for RSLinx.exe and then press stop. As Mr. Panic said RSLinx Launch Control Panel make sure that the Always On check box is not on.

I have always had the option of linx as a service turned off, recently every time I turn on my computer (XP) then the option has been reselected. Any ideas. Regards Alan

If you have administrative access to your laptop, go to Control Panel -> Administrative Tools - > Services, find RSLinx service and change its startup type from "Automatic" to "Manual".

If you don't have administrative access because your company IT guys have set you up that way, you would have to explain to them that your needs are different than an ordinary Office user's. Nicely but firmly...

Windows XP and RSLinx operate different together, than any other system. RSLinx forces itself to run as a service, and also sets the check-box "Reserve COM Port for Exclusive use by this Driver" especially for a PIC - which is what is locking up your com port for any other program. I found I had to Disable the RSLinx under Administrator Services.

Another thing XP does - you can not move activation to just any floppy to use on another computer - it has to be the original Master Disk from AB.

Wow,

Spent 5 minutes here and already found a solution to one of my anoyances with Rslogix.

Thanks

I have never seen it automatically redheck the check box itself when it is not being called by another service or program .

Although it will start and run as a service if you are using another program that might need access to it. In other words if you are using the Microsoft Excell Addin yes when you run Excell or several types of spread sheet programs and some Database programs (Access), it can and will start the service again and will set the default back to run from startup. There are other programs that will do this to. You need to find out what all programs you are running either in the background (other services too), and find out what addins and uses that they are using.

This Problem is not just with XP but I have seen it on ME, 2000, and NT4.0 SP4. It is just more prevelant with XP because XP does a better job of running services with out you knowing.

As for the Disc Problem there is a workaround for this. If you search AB's Support site look for Activation on CE Devices. There is a down load of a slightly different version of E-Move that will allow you to move it to a regular disc as well as a Compact Flash Card, and more with out it being a Master Disc.

What I have found in an EMERGENCY situation is if you go to:

Control Panel
System, (tab) hardware, (button) Devices Manager
Look at PORT (COM & LPT)

IF your com port says "RS Logix or anything AB releated".

Then what I do it DELETE the com port, then run ADD and REMOVE hardware. Windows XP will plug and play and find a new com port, and name it: Communcation Port 1 or 2...That's the normal name for it.

Of course make sure that you killed RS Linx first via the suggestions above, but if you ever get into a JAM, deleting the AB COM port version in the control panel, and re installing it works. I've had to do this three times now. Rebooting did not even release the port. AB just owned it even after a computer restarted. So I got ****ed and deleted it, and it was fine after that.